What is described is a method for preserving cooked or pre-cooked food, wherein the cooked or pre-cooked food is kept in a preserving chamber with a controlled atmosphere, substantially at atmospheric pressure and at a predetermined temperature in the range from 57.2° C. to 90° C., for a preservation time of more than at least 24 hours, and wherein the partial oxygen pressure in the chamber is kept below 10 kPa, by at least partially replacing the oxygen present in the chamber with another non-oxidizing gas which is introduced into the chamber.